Device for processing x-ray film



NOV. 19, 1968 CORBETT 3,411,423

DEVICE FOR PROCESSING X-RAY FILM Filed May 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR FQANK E. CORBETT AT'F'OR may United States Patent 3,411,423DEVICE FOR PROCESSING X-RAY FILM Frank E. Corbett, Franklin Square,N.Y., assignor to the United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Army Filed May 13, 1966, Ser. No. 549,949 7 Claims.(Cl. 95-89) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A photographic apparatus forprocessing a composite X-ray film assembly of the type embodying pods ofprocessing chemicals which are released by compression and spreadthroughout an exposed photosensitive area. The apparatus consists of apair of pressure-bearing rollers between which the X-ray film assemblymoves, which rollers supply the necessary compressive force to releasethe chemicals from the pods. A mechanism consisting of cams, camfollowers, and resilient biasing members are provided to separate therollers and release the pressure therebetween as the trailing edge ofthe film passes through to prevent smearing of the processing chemicalsat the trailing edge.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

This invention relates to a mechanism for processing X-ray film of thetype containing pod of processing chemicals spaced throughout itssurface.

Under field conditions the availability of electricity becomesproblematical. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide means fordeveloping the film entirely independently of electrical power.

One purely mechanical method of processing film of the type describedherein involves manually pulling the film between a pair of pressurebearing rollers whereby the developing chemicals encapsulated within thefilm surface are broken and spread throughout the entire surface. As thetrailing edge of the film passes through the rollers, the developingchemicals will escape onto the rollers, thereby hindering futuredeveloping operations. Further, manual manipulation of the film beingprocessed causes non-uniformity in the spreading of the developingchemicals. Often a smeared, finished product results because of theinherent defects of the desired operation.

The object of this invention is to provide means for removing thepressure between the pressure bearing rollers as the trailing edge ofthe film passes through, to thereby prevent the smearing at the trailingedge. Further, by removing the pressure between the rollers and byseparating the rollers, the developing chemicals will not escape ontothe rollers.

Accordingly, a further object is to provide means for separating therollers as the trailing edge of the film passes through the rollers.

Another object is to provide mechanical means for moving the filmbetween a pair of pressure bearing rollers, thereby obviating thenecessity for pulling the film between the rollers manually.

Another object is to provide portable light shields to further increasethe overall mobility of this invention. These and further objects willbecome apparent from the following description wherein:

3,411,423 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 ice FIG. 1 is a perspective view of theprocessing mechamsm;

FIG. 2 shows the details of the driving gear arrangement for the lowerroller;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the processing mechanism with the solid lineportion showing the cross-arm member 14 engaged by the cross-bar lockassembly 11, and the broken lines showing the cross-arm memberdisengaged; and

FIG. 4 shows the processing mechanism mounted within a housing which haslight shields attached.

Basically, the invention involves a driving drum 2 driving a shaft whichconnects to one of the pressure bearing rollers 15. A storage drum 102houses a flat constant tension spring 1. One end of spring 1 is attachedto the storage drum 102; the other end is attached to the driving drum2. The spring 1 is wound on the driving drum. As the spring 1 unwindsonto the storage drum 102, it causes the driving drum to drive theroller 15. As the driving drum revolves, co-action between an indent orcam means 75 on a flange of the winding drum and cam follower 21(unlocks a cam follower arm latch 22 which in turn allows the upperroller 16 to spring away from the lower roller 15.

The driving drum 2 has a circular flange member 4 about itscircumference as shown in FIG. 2. The flange member 4 has an internalring gear. Also, an indent or cam means is machined into the outerperiphery of the flange member 4. The internal ring gear of flange 4engages a spur gear 52 mounted on a spur gear hub 53. A spur gear shaft54 connects to the hub 53. A main frame bearing 55, a spring 56, andcoupling 57 are mounted upon the spur gear shaft 54. When the coupling57 is manually forced to the right, the lower roller turns freely; thisfacilitates cleaning. The lower roller 15 is mounted upon a hexagonallower roller shaft 59. A pillow block 60 is mounted upon the rollershaft 59. Thus, as the flange member 4 revolves, a corresponding forceis transmitted to lower roller 15.

The constant tension spring 1 stored on drum 102 is wound onto thedriving drum 2 by turning knob 34. A ratchet 42 and pawl 38 prevent therelease of the spring wound driving drum 2. The circular ratchet 42 isfirmly secured to the main frame 5. The pawl 38 is pivotally mounted oncircular plate 40; the plate is joined to the turning knob 34 by meansof two machine screws 31. A circular cam 35, having a notched portion,is firmly secured to the driving drum shaft 54 by a cam retaining screw32 and a washer 33. The cut-out notched portion of cam 35 co-acts with atooth 45 on cam release member 37; the cam release 37 is pivotallymounted on plate 40. Arm 46 of the cam release member protrudes througha slot 49 on the turning knob. As the turning knob 34 is rotated thetooth 45 is forced into the cut-out portion of cam 35 by the tension ofa cam release spring 39. The drum 2 can then be wound. Stop spring 81 isengaged as the drum 2 being wound reaches its limit of travel. Thedriving drum 2 unwinds counterclockwise in FIG. 3.

When the cam release arm 46 is depressed, tooth 45 is freed from thecut-out portion of cam 35, thereby allowing the cam and driving drumshaft 54 to rotate freely. The turning knob 34 and plate 40 arerestricted by the action of the pawl 38 and ratchet 42.

The driving drum 2 has an internal ring gear member 4 upon whoseperiphery an indent or cam means 75 is machined. An arm 22 mounting abearing 21 which acts as a cam follower, is pivotally mounted to themain frame 5 by shaft 18, and is positioned to travel along the outerperiphery of the ring gear member 4 and the drum flange 65. A pressuretab 19, tie bar 17, shaft 18, and cross-bar lock assembly 11, 76, applypressure to locking pin 24 which is attached to cross-bar 14. The lockassembly consists of two members, one pivoted on the other. The lowermember 76 is rotatably mounted on shaft 18. The upper member 11 ispivotally mounted on and operates independently of lower member 76. Theupper member 11 has a projection 77 as shown in FIG. 3. As the cross-bar14 is forced downward, a pin 24 coacting with the projection 77 of theupper member 11 causes the upper member to pivot, thereby allowing thepin 24 to pass the projection. As the pin 24 passes the projection, thecross-bar 14 is locked into its horizontal position as shown by theaction of spring 6 forcing the upper cross-bar lock assembly member 11to its original position as shown in FIG. 3.

At all times the cross-bar lock assembly is forced away from the mainframe 5 by a force exerted by cam follower 21, through arm 22, throughshaft 18, through pressure tab 19 to tie bar 17. This condition isopposed by a counterforce from spring 6, which draws the entire lockingassembly toward the main frame 5 at the instant the cam follower 21enters the indent or cam means 75. This instantaneous inward motionreleases pin 24 from projection 77. Cross-bar 14, which mounts the upperroller 16, springs free, by the action of spring 80, thereby elminatingthe pressure between the upper and lower rollers.

One end of the upper roller mounting arm 12 is pivotally mounted to themain frame 5; the other end is pivotally mounted on the cross-bar arm10. Metering pressure of the upper roller 16 is controlled by a springloaded screw 9. The chemical pod breaking pressure is controlled by thespring loaded screw 7. The cross-bar is sprung away by means of the loopof spring wire 80 positioned between the main frame 5 and the cross-bararm 10.

One complete sequence of operation involves Winding the driving drum 2in the manner previously described. Next cam release 37 is depressed,thereby allowing the tooth 45 to release cam 35. The driving drum 2being thus freed, is forced to revolve by the action of spring 1unwinding from the driving drum 2 onto the storage drum 102. Ring gear 4in turn drives the lower roller by engaging the spur gear 52. In thismanner, the film to be developed is pulled through the compressedrollers. When the cam follower 21 engages indent or cam means 75 thetension of spring 6 causes the cross-bar locking assembly (consisting ofupper member 11 and lower member 76) to move toward the main frame 5thereby allowing the cross-bar 14 to spring free by virtue of spring 80.The upper roller disengages entirely from the lower roller by means ofthe pivot arrangements previously described.

FIG. 4 shows the entire film processing mechanism con tained in a casehaving openings on the two sides which are parallel to the surface ofthe rollers. Attached to the openings in light, tight relation areopaque, flexible and portable light trap coverings 101 and 105. One ofthese coverings 101 contains the loaded cassette before and the other105 to accept the developed film packet after it passes through therollers. After a predetermined time interval, the film is removed fromthe covering receiving the developed film through an opening in thecovering.

I claim:

1. A device for processing film comprising:

(a) a pair of pressure bearing rollers supported within a housing;

(b) means for driving a fixed one of said pair of rollers;

(c) cam means associated with said driven one of said rollers;

(d) a cross-bar member carried by said housing and mounting a movableone of said rollers;

(e) resilient means positioning said cross-bar member to producepressure;

(f) latching means for said cross-bar;

(g) resiliently biased release mechanism connected to said latchingmeans; and

(h) a cam follower arm having a cam follower at one end thereof coactingwith said cam and the other end thereof connected to said releasemechanism whereby when said cam follower engages said cam, said releasemechanism trips said latching means to permit said cross-bar to move andseparate said movable roller from contact with said fixed roller.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for driving said rollerscomprises:

(a) a spring driven drum having a flanged rim;

(b) an internal ring gear attached to said flanged rim;

and

(c) a spur gear coacting with said ring gear driving said fixed roller.

3. The device as stated in claim 1 further comprising a housing in whichsaid device is suitably mounted, and light shields attached to each ofthe sides of said housing.

4. A device for processing film comprising:

(a) a main frame;

(b) a cross-bar and arm assembly, spring loaded and pivotally mounted onsaid main frame;

(0) an upper roller mounted on said cross-bar and arm assembly;

(d) a driving drum having a flanged rim, said flange having a cut-awayindent portion, said drum mounted on said main frame;

(e) means for rotating said driving drum;

(f) a lower roller driven by said driving drum;

(g) a cam follower shaft mounted on said main frame;

(h) a cam follower communicating with the outer perimeter of said flangeincluding said indent, and mounted on the cam follower shaft;

(i) a cross-bar lock assembly including a lower member mounted on saidc'am follower shaft and an upper member pivotally mounted on said lowermember, said upper member having a cut-away hooked portion for lockingsaid cross-bar to produce pressure between said upper and lower rollers;

(j) a spring between said upper member and said main frame providingtension for locking said cross-bar;

(k) means for releasing said cross-bar lock assembly when said camfollower engages the indent, thereby forcing the cross-bar lock assemblyaway from the main frame and freeing said cross-bar and arm assembly.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means for rotating thedriving drum comprises:

(a) a storage drum mounted on the main frame;

(b) a constant tension spring one end attached to said storage drum, theother end attached to said driving drum;

(0) means for winding said spring onto said driving drum;

(d) means for releasing said driving drum when wound,

thereby allowing the spring to unwind onto the storage drum to produce aforce against said driving drum.

6. The device as stated in claim 4 wherein the means for releasing saidcross-bar lock assembly comprises:

(a) a release arm tie-bar connected to said lower member of thecross-bar lock assembly;

(b) a pressure tab mounted upon said tie-bar and said cam followershaft, said pres-sure tab translating the force applied to the camfollower shaft to the tie-bar arm when said cam follower engages saidindent portion, said tie-bar forcing the cross-bar lock assem- 6References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,638,828 5/1953 Bachelder et a1.95-89 3,335,652 8/1967 Erikson 9589 3,344,730 10/1967 Bartlett et a1.95-89 3,369,473 2/1968 Bartlett 95-89 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.F. L. BRAUN, Assistant Examiner.

